Tag Archives: college

Enjoy your time off and make sure you prepare for your senior year of high school over the summer. If you have the idea you should rest so you can be ready for the new school year, you are right, summer is the perfect time to recharge for what is sure to be a demanding period. But, your other priority should also include a little preparation for your senior year.

The goal is to maximize the summer months and prepare for an action-packed new school year full of life-altering choices and decisions. The good news is that nothing suggested here is overly hard, it just needs to get done. So, keep reading and do these few things to help assure your senior year is one of the best years of your life so far.

Get Organized – There are tons of important decisions in the coming year. Get a calendar, make note of key dates and deadlines. Post your calendar in a prominent place and check it often to stay on task and on schedule. Once you get in this habit, you may find that this approach will work well for you far beyond your senior year.

Prepare for Life After Graduation – What is your plan? Are you going to college or another post-secondary education program? Whatever your choice, you can help insure your success with the prep work you do now. Research the requirements for the school or program of your choice and be sure you have met or have a plan to meet the requirements for admission. This college admissions guide may help you anticipate the year ahead.

Register for Fall SAT/ACT Tests – You may have taken the tests in your junior year, if there is room for improvement in your score sign-up for the test and take it again, this is a great opportunity not to be missed. Over the summer, get registered for the test and put a date on your calendar as soon as possible. Test seats are limited, so sign-up before the all the seats are taken. Test location can also be a factor influencing your test results, this resource may help you pick a location ideal for you.

Get Your Finances in Order (FAFSA & TASFA) – This one is likely a family affair. To apply for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA), you will need information about your parents’ most recent tax returns, W-2s and other records of money earned. If you earned income and are using your earnings for help pay for school, you must have the same information for your income as well. The state and federal funds are limited, so following the dates and filing your financial aid applications early puts you ahead of the pack and more likely to receive the financial aid you need. This resource on tips to maximize financial aid may help.

Do a Trial Run – There’s nothing wrong with getting a head start on a few of the big things coming in the fall, then as deadlines approach, you will be refining the work you have already begun, versus starting from scratch. A couple of topics and suggestions…Start thinking of who you will ask to write letters of recommendation for you and complete a first draft of your college essays. When the fall comes, you will be happy you did.

Make Sure Your Social Media Tells a Good Story – Have you heard that companies hiring new employees frequently look at their digital profiles for a virtual first impression? Well it is true and the good news is that social media might also help your college prospects, read this article from CNN to learn how.

There are few times in life where the decisions you make are as important as those you will make in the fall as you begin your last year of high school. Enjoy the warm weather AND get a few things done to ensure your senior year success.

Have you ever looked around the room at a group of your friends and noticed that you all have a lot in common? I am not referring to how you look, though you and your friends may resemble, in this instance I am talking about the similarities in the way you see the world, the values you share, your backgrounds and shared experiences. According to research, this is not by coincidence; we are hard-wired to desire like-minded companions. In fact, the research goes on to say that “similarity is very useful, and people are attracted to it most of the time”. If we think about it, this is not really a surprise. We tend to be more comfortable, more trusting, and have more in common with those just like us.

The problem with this sort of thinking and conformity is that every time we limit our exposure, we lose the opportunity to stretch and grow. Whether you have the chance to meet someone from another ethnic group, someone far richer or poorer than you are, do it. The upside potential is huge. Embrace the idea; talking with others exposes us to differing points of view and cultural nuances.

Question the hypothesis about the value of diversity if you will, but having a broader sense of the world around, seeing the same problems from several points of view, understanding how other cultures and different economic strata process information and make decisions, is enriching. On the surface, my comments here may strike you as social commentary or an updated line from Dale Carnegie’s book, How to Win Friends and Influence People. In part, you would be correct. Adding a little diversity to your life would probably improve your social life or at least infuse a little excitement (smiles). However, the real reason for advocating for diversity is directly related to helping our students prepare for success in a global economy.

In truth, diversity is all around; it is the norm. Those in the workforce now know that diversity is everywhere and those able to collaborate across racial, cultural and socioeconomic boundaries will be poised to lead America to our next, best years.

Welcome back, it’s the beginning of a great new school year and I hope you got your rest, because we have work to do!

By now, you have already started the new school year off with a bang…shopping tax-free weekend for new school clothes and supplies–check. The first days of school was great, getting to renew relationships and see your friends after the summer break – check. Now you are back in the groove and ready for a successful year of accomplishment–right?

The old adage that you start getting ready to apply for college and financial aid in the middle of your senior year is officially outdated, passé, kaput, in other words…old news. Beginning October 1, 2016 (yes, just a few short weeks from now), you can begin applying for Federal Government financial aid funds. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) program has an entirely new timetable.

For those planning to attend college beginning as early as July 2017, roll up your sleeves and get to work. The rules the Feds have in place are reasonable. They realize that you cannot have your 2016 taxes completed as early as the beginning of the application period so they have rewritten the rules allowing applicants to use 2015 tax year information when applying for financial aid for the 2017-2018 school year, this is very good news. Here is a summary of key dates related to FAFSA grant monies:

If you plan to attend college from:

Submit the FAFSA Application dated

You can submit the FAFSA form during this time period

Use income and tax information from this tax year

July 1, 2017 –

June 30, 2018

2017-2018

October 1, 2016 –

June 30, 2018

2015

July 1, 2018 –

June 30, 2019

2018-2019

October 1, 2017 –

June 30, 2019

2016

Need a Money Mentor to help navigate the financial aid system, check out NextGenVest.com.

In addition to filing for Federal financial aid, you have a few more due dates to plan for and consider; let me spur your memory.

We discussed the FAFSA, but do not forget the Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA). Apply for one or the other, but do not miss your chance to receive financial aid from the US government. You deserve your shot at the American dream and the financial assistance to make your dreams reality.

If you have already taken the SAT® or ACT and you are happy with your scores, you are in great shape. If not, schedule your time to retake those exams now. The in school exams for Dallas ISD will be in the spring of 2017. For more information on entrance test dates and fees, click here .

Last, but not least, one of the most important decisions you will make is where you will attend college. Narrow your list of options and begin working on your college applications. If you need help thinking through how to position your achievements and highlight your best characteristics, ask for help. Your parents may be a good resource, but if not go to your Education is Freedom Advisor who is at your campus every day to help you. You have everything to gain.

There are resources, services and tips all around to help you get through this busy period, so do not let your “To Do” list scare you. Get a simple calendar to hang on your wall as an ever-present reminder; mark out key dates and set aside time to work toward the accomplishment your goals.

This really is the beginning of the rest of your life, invest the time now to ensure your own success!

Ever wonder why talented students with great financial aid packages don’t finish college? Income inequality is likely a factor. Frequently costs, not just the cost of tuition, but the finances required for books, materials, transportation to and from school and housing are a big factor.

According to Morgan State University’s administrator over student retention efforts, Tiffany Mfume, many students who stopped their college degree program were very close to meeting their financial obligations. In fact, in Mfume’s research, 10 percent of students that put their academic careers on hold until they were able to pay owed less than $1,000. Though income and earnings have stalled for many, the cost of education has continued to escalate. If a $1,000 debt could end a college career for one in ten at Morgan State University, imagine what a financial obligation of much larger sums would do to many others.

A few progressive schools have created programs specifically to address this issue. They identify highly qualified low and middle-income students, using fundraising contributions and other sources of financial aid the goal is to close the financial gap and assure that students begin their college educations and end with a degree in hand. In fact, at Morgan State, a $5 million campaign was launched and the college’s president put his own money were his heart was and pledged $100,000 toward the effort. Bravo to all the visionary schools and administrators who have taken action to remedy this issue at least short term, but let us not forget, wholesale reform is needed to remedy the income inequality issue as it relates to education.

Poised for action and always ready to jump in with a helping hand, Education is Freedom (EIF) is not waiting around for the entire US economic system rewrite to repair the income inequality dilemma. Instead we are taking action to do what we can, while we can and we want you to join us for the inaugural fundraiser aimed at providing 100 scholarships to Dallas’ best and brightest students from 10 Dallas ISD schools. The program entitled, An Evening with the Stars, 2016 Inaugural Scholarship Event will directly support EIF graduating seniors with a personalized scholarship that will cover college costs that are not traditionally covered by financial aid. Join EIF and Highland Capital, the title sponsor, Saturday, May 21st, 5-7pm at the Dallas Zoo to participate. Not able to attend? There are many ways to assist, click here for more information on how you can contribute; no gift is too small to help.

In closing, no one is more aware of the monumental task before the country in finding a remedy to income inequality and its impact on the educational achievement gap than we are. We applaud Morgan State University and other progressive schools that have developed programs to address this pressing issue. But, we also know that to support our vision for the children of Dallas ISD and to live our mission to create well-educated, career ready young adults, we must act now. The need is great, the time is now, can we count on your support ?

Today, in the state of Texas, the highest levels of education in any age group are for those ages 55 to 64. If Texas were its own country, this age group would rank fifth in the world in terms of educational attainment, conversely, those ages 25 to 34 would rank 25th in the world. The concern is that the older group is on the cusp of retiring. The state is already beginning to see a brain drain and over the next 15 years the problem will only worsen, unless we take action now.

Simply stated the basic vision for the plan is to bolster the skills of the state’s workforce, making Texas an attractive state for enterprise. Earlier this year, Texas’ Higher Education Coordinating Board introduced 60 by 30 Tex (or 60x30TX), a lofty plan developed precisely to address the dwindling workforce ready population and to assure that state based businesses have the resources and skills needed to fuel growth into the middle of this century. The specificgoal is to have 60% of Texans between the ages 25 and 34 hold some type of degree or post-secondary certification by the year 2030. By comparison, today this demographic group (people ages 25-to-34) have only a 38% attainment rate.

To crystallize the goals the plan calls for at least 550,000 students in calendar year 2030 to complete a certificate, two-year, four-year or master’s degree from an institution in Texas. Additionally the goal stipulates that all graduates from Texas public institutions will have completed programs with identified marketable skills; and undergraduate student loan debt won’t exceed 60 percent of Texas public institution graduates’ first-year wages.

The new plan urges more success with Hispanic and African-American students who to date have had far lower educational attainment rates versus others. Since Texas has the highest percentage of black and Hispanic students in the country, finding ways to help these students get into college, stay in college — and pay for it — will be vital to the state’s future.

Critics of the plan might argue that rather than laying out a specific list of actions, it is more a statement of goals. From my perspective, sure it could be a little more prescriptive but I am choosing to focus on the positive. Consistent with EIF’s vision and mission, I am encouraged that among the plans details are specific efforts to make college more affordable and to make it easier for students to access and complete college courses. A few highlights from the plan that caught my attention are as follows:

Aggressively promoting college attainment to students and parents prior to high school.

Expanding online courses and those that students can take while still in high school.

Exploring the possibility of reducing the hours needed to earn a degree — say by reducing required electives — so that students can graduate faster.

To help with affordability overall, the Texas Legislature is working to align community college courses so that more would easily transfer to a four-year institution, saving students money.

Before the next Legislative session in 2017, officials are also considering allowing a few community colleges to offer bachelor degrees. But care is being taken to develop a process that does not create unnecessary competition with universities.

There is a lot to digest in the new 60x30TX plan and by the authors’ own admission by design, the plan is “Texas-bold and Texas-achievable. Some may say this goal is too great to accomplish, but it must be accomplished – a Texas future without bold action is a Texas without a bold future.”

We will continue to watch for new developments in the state’s plans for higher education. My suggestion is that you too stay tuned; the next 15 years are bound to be choked full of excitement and innovation for higher education in Texas.

The first three years of high school went by quickly and the senior year will also, but it will be more exciting and for many, more emotional too. It is a time of many lasts: last first day of high school, last homecoming game, last prom and of course there will be many good-byes to teachers, classmates and your school. Plus there is also extra added time pressure. You’ve heard it many times, you must submit your college and financial aid applications, additionally you will need to plan for graduation, live up to your other commitments, like part-time work and you also need to maintain your grades throughout senior year. (Remember even early college admissions can be rescinded if grades falter.) Developing a plan or schedule, managing your time and staying motivated are critical steps to overcoming senioritis. If you are focused, it will be far easier to be effective keeping the big picture and your goals to attend college in the fall top of mind.

While focused on your plans for college, stay in the moment too. Enjoy your graduation– celebrate, you’ve accomplished a major milestone. Just don’t lose your momentum after the big day. You’ve heard Sir Isaac Newton’s first law of motion, “an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless impacted by an external force”. Well the key here is to beware of external forces or the phenomenon called “summer melt”.

Summer melt is the term used to describe when students with college plans the spring before graduation do not make it to campus in the fall…their intentions to attend college melt away during the summer before fall admission. The Summer Melt Handbook, published by Harvard University Center for Education Policy Research, estimates 10 to 40 percent of students planning to attend college do not follow through on their plans. The rates tend to be even higher among students from urban districts, low-income families and for those who are the first in their families to attend college. Even if you think summer melt would never happen to you, it is far too common an occurrence to ignore. Better to have a plan and not need than to need it and not have it. You must be diligent, but do not go it alone, enlist your support network (your family, your high school and college resources such as Education is Freedom).

Follow these seven tips to help you stay on track and develop your own Anti-Summer Melt Playbook:

Connect with friends also planning to attend college; form a support group and share important news and resources to assure everyone conquers summer melt.

What your family and friends can do:

Your family can help you stay motivated and confident by offering praise and support for your ambitions to attend college and they can help remove obstacles that could hamper your success.

Set aside some time each week to check in with your family; share with family and friends what’s on your mind and ask them to help you come up with solutions to help resolve persistent issues.

If there are questions your family and friends cannot answer, ask a trusted family member or role model to place an inquiry call to the college’s office of Student Affairs to identify additional aid and resources.

What your high school and your college can do to help and what are the resources that may be available to you:

Ask a school counselor (college or high school) for assistance and guidance over the summer to answer questions and serve as your accountability coach.

If your high school or college has a social media (text, email, Facebook or Twitter) program for incoming college freshmen, sign up to have messages delivered directly to your cell phone or email.

You may not have all of these tools available to you, but that’s not a good excuse; leverage the resources you do have. Well timed activities and communications throughout the summer will work wonders to keep you focused and excited to begin college in the fall.

Today, the demand for educated and skilled labor has never been greater but unfortunately, given the youth employment (or unemployment) crisis we have around the world today, there are far fewer opportunities for young people to gain the required skills.

Historically the summer months were a critical time to earn extra money and gain needed skills. Additionally, summer jobs have been associated with higher graduation rates, better future employment prospects and even higher earnings later in life. But in America over the last 12 years, there has been a 40% decline in the youth summer employment rate. You may think that this phenome only impacts the youth, but the real truth of this employment shortfall has far-reaching consequences, of course for the young people, but also for our communities and the broader economy overall. Couple these statistics with the reality that many companies hesitate to hire high school students because of their preconceived notions that they are too young, require a lot of training and have no value-added skills and it makes for a depressing, although very realistic picture.

It is not a surprise that Internships are good for the person seeking the new experience (especially given the dearth of jobs available to high school and college age students) AND they can also be a boon to employers too. For the employee, an internship can provide a peek into a new career, a field of study, excellent networking in the interns’ chosen field, great on the job experience, and financial literacy as they learn how to manage their paycheck earnings. There are many practical and long term benefits for young people. Plus, consider that the cost of a disenfranchised and disconnected young person just 16 years of age, may add both taxpayer and social burden of $1 million during his or her lifetime according to statistics published in The Economic Value of Opportunity Youth, 2012 . The case seems pretty clear on the value for students, but consider this…internships are great for employers too giving the hiring company the opportunity to build brand awareness among emerging young or established consumers, build a talent pipeline that can be leveraged for years to come and add experience in areas like social media where they may need to bolster their approach to be competitive or where their current staff may have less experience. In short, it is a win-win for everyone.

Research suggests an internship can be a key ingredient to setting a student apart from other applicants. In fact, one study suggested that 90% of all respondents agreed that a high school internship could help students get into better colleges. When it comes to getting a better job after college the differentiator may also be an internship. In both cases, it’s important to stress that students should use internships as an opportunity to stretch their abilities, showcase their willingness to learn new tasks and skills. Plus, take the chance to network with colleagues. Sometimes who you know is just as important as what you know. A well-placed personal referral for a candidate goes miles in terms of breaking the tie between candidates to fill a job opening or used as recommendations for college applications.

You’ve heard the old saying, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Well I really don’t like that saying, but in this case it is extremely relevant. As a new college student, whether you are attending a 4-year, 2-year, or trade school, it’s critical that you extend yourself, get out of your comfort zone and get to know the people critical to your success, the resources available to you and how to navigate the school’s system to your best advantage. It is imperative that you become familiar with your school’s online portal where the majority of activities take place such as registering and paying for classes, checking your financial aid award package, and tracking your academic progress.

To get started, use these simple tips on your path to success.

Ensure Academic Success:
• Meet the school dean, the faculty in your major and your faculty advisor if one is assigned.
• Understand the requirements to successfully graduate in your program of study.
• Understand how to schedule classes and the timeline to register, add, drop, change and confirm your class roster for each semester.
• Know how to calculate your grade-point average to assure you are making academic progress.
• Know how to access / use tutoring and other academic services offered by your schools’ Academic Success Center.
• Know how to leverage the assets of the library, learning labs and other resources available to students.
• Once you have a class roster, make yourself acquainted with the teaching assistants and office hours for each of your professors.

Be Financially Responsible:
• Calculate your estimated expenses for tuition and other costs associated with college life and stick to your budget.
• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid to determine eligibility for financial aid. This must be renewed every year. Know that financial aid may include free grants as well as loans that must be repaid and be careful not to exceed a reasonable debt load.
• Ask about part-time and work-study jobs that may be available on campus to help cover expenses.
• Understand the academic requirements necessary to fulfill the mandates related to your financial aid; in some cases not having satisfactory academic progress could lead to the loss of financial aid.
• Know how to buy new/used textbooks, discounted hardware/software, tools, and supplies through on-campus bookstore or another approved source.

Be Safe and Socially Responsible:
• Understand your rights and responsibilities as a member of the school community. Check for a student’s bill of rights or a similar sort of document that explains what your school expects of you and what you should expect from the school.
• Know the school’s laws and policies, who to call in case of an emergency and how to use on-campus emergency call boxes if they are available.
• If there is an emergency alert system, get familiar with how messages are sent and where to access the most current information online.
• Think before you act; beware of reckless socializing (including online networking, alcohol and drug abuse).
• Know the counseling services that are available to assist you in dealing with personal and academic problems.
• Know how and when to use on-campus health services.

Get and Stay Involved on Campus and in the Local Community
• Become an active student leader and develop skills to build your resume and augment your academic accomplishments.
• Be a good citizen on campus and in the local community.
• Learn about student organizations, Greek Life, and activities outside of class including intercollegiate athletics, club sports, and intramural / extramural programs.

This is not a fully exhaustive list, but it is a good start to a successful college career.

There is a science to helping students become successful in the classroom. Not to be cliché, but some research suggests there is evidence that there are differences between how to help girls learn and achieve versus how to help boys.

For years, women lagged behind men in educational attainment. In 1960, more boys went to college and census data suggested that twice as many males as females received bachelor’s degrees in 1960. Two decades later, by the mid-1980s, female students’ educational attainments had not only caught up but started to outpace the accomplishments of male students. Building on those success trends started almost 40 years ago, today female students are in fact performing far better than boys and according to the National Center for Educational Statistics, 57% of college students are female and women earn about one-third more bachelor’s degrees than men. After decades of concern about females being shortchanged, now there is some evidence to suggest exactly the opposite; perhaps it is really young men who are in peril.

Digging a little deeper to understand what is going on in STEM studies specifically, we will find that even though females are capable, their abilities in math and science classes do not predict whether they will go into related careers. Lisa Wade, associate professor and chairwoman of the sociology department at Occidental College in Los Angeles who frequently writes on this topic says, “many high-performing girls choose not to (go into STEM careers), and many lower-performing boys do. This is partly because women are pushed out of such careers because they are so strongly associated with men and masculinity or because they encounter hostility, but it’s also because they are pulled out: women strongly out-perform boys in skills related to other types of careers, so sometimes they choose those instead.”

While all the various theories and the current facts are interesting, the real question is what exactly causes the gender gap in STEM studies and educational achievement? The sad truth is that while data exposes an indisputable gender gap, the reasons that contributed to these results are unclear. The roots of the problem are complex and nuanced and it seems many factors contribute to the discrepancies between males and females.

So, what can be done to help students stay the path to pursue a degree in a STEM field? For both male and female students, create opportunities for your student to meet some same gender role models in their areas of interest. No matter the topic, there are likely professional organizations in the specific STEM field that may have outreach efforts designed to stimulate interest in the field, and some may even offer internship opportunities to students (as an example, to find STEM career related associations or professional organizations, go to www.engineering.com for engineering and www.computer.com for computer science) . Finally, there is anecdotal evidence that high school’s where academic achievements are celebrated and rewarded are good for both male and female students. Frequently these schools are in affluent districts or in urban areas where the community has rallied behind the school’s educational goals.

A primary take away from this discussion is to seek support both inside and outside the school environment encouraging and rewarding academic excellence and providing role models and hands on experience to support STEM career interest for both females and males.

While recently strolling through a shopping mall, I stumbled up on a group of teenagers. As the profanity became less and less bearable, I became more and more disturbed. My initial inclination was to criticize these young men for the highly inappropriate language and seemingly gang affiliated attire. This would have been immediately followed by giving them the obligatory speech about respecting elders. Then, I thought about a quote I recently heard from Georgetown Professor, Michael Eric Dyson:

“Maybe if we lifted their dreams, their pants would follow”

It is easy for us to ridicule young people for the behaviors that they exhibit. But this particular day really made me begin to critically assess the state of adolescence in today’s society. Most parents and guardians do the best they can to rear their children. Teachers, often with limited resources, provide students with key foundational concepts they will need for academic success. Counselors and organizations such as EIF work diligently to ensure that students have the requisite knowledge regarding their postsecondary options.

But there is still a missing link: An adequate supply of positive mentors.

Most of us can think of someone in our life who, in some way, inspired us when we were younger. Maybe it was a coach or teacher who helped us hone our talents, a family friend who took an interest in our education or a boss who taught us the ropes of our chosen career. These people encouraged us to pursue our life goals and were people we could look up to as role models.

Mentors play an important role in helping young people succeed academically, socially and professionally. These more experienced men and women can pass on knowledge, advice and offer support to their younger counterparts.

Mentors have the ability to especially make an impact on potential first-generation college students or those entering a career path foreign to their families. These students can’t necessarily rely on the guidance of parents or siblings in preparing for their postsecondary careers. In these situations, mentors serve as sources of knowledge regarding college applications, financial aid, course work, career development, and what to expect after high school.

But beyond providing useful information, these adults can also act as sources of social support and encouragement. A student who has someone taking an interest in their life goals and who is invested in their success is more likely to succeed after high school. A young person with a mentor always knows that there’s someone rooting for them, and that they have someone they can turn to for help when needed. Simply put, having a mentor can often mean the difference between a student dedicating themselves to their education or giving up entirely.

However, the students themselves are not the only ones who benefit from mentor-mentee relationships. Those who mentor indirectly impact their communities by helping to build a workforce of knowledgeable and skilled professionals. And the hope is that these young students will one day return to their communities with the ability to become mentors to the next generation, creating a cycle of success.

But in a sense, none of these are the most important reason:

Simply put, those of us that have been successful in our postsecondary lives have a moral obligation to mentor. This obligation is born from the idea that in an effort to prepare the next generation for success, it is not the option for a few of us, but the responsibility of all of us. If we all embraced young people, our future, with this attitude, we can collectively create a group of young professionals poised to lead our world into a new path of innovation and leadership. And who knows? Maybe then, your stroll through the mall won’t be as discouraging and distasteful as mine.